University of Malta joins the MedJICARP project to strengthen climate-resilient ocean observing systems

The Department of Geosciences, through the Oceanography Malta Research Group
(OMRG), joined Mediterranean partners in Heraklion, Greece, for the official launch of MedJICARP, hosted by the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR).

The University of Malta team contributing to the project includes Prof. Adam Gauci, Prof. Alan Deidun, and Mr David Ramirez.

MedJICARP is an Interreg NEXT MED initiative coordinated by the Oceanography Centre, University of Cyprus, and focuses on strengthening climate-resilient ocean observing systems by improving shared practices, data access, and technical capacity linked to climate-related marine hazards.

The project brings together nine leading scientific institutions from eight countries, these being the Oceanography Centre, University of Cyprus (Cyprus) as Coordinator, the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI) (Cyprus), the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (Greece), the University of Malta (Malta), Università degli Studi di Palermo (Italy), Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (Italy), the National Council for Scientific Research (Lebanon), the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (Egypt), and the National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies (Tunisia).

During the meeting, partners aligned on the objectives of the project and governance, and mapped out the first phase of work. Discussions centred on enhancing ocean observing platforms, setting up a digital hub for climate-related information, and organising training for coastal stakeholders.

The University of Malta also leads Work Package 5, which focuses on capacity-building and community engagement for climate resilience. Prof. Gauci presented on fixed-platform operations and highlighted how the project will support stakeholders through training, knowledge exchange, and outreach activities aimed at improving preparedness and response to climate-driven marine risks. Mr Ramirez contributed by leading discussions on the meetings and workshops that will be delivered throughout the project by all partners, and by presenting additional outreach actions to further promote MedJICARP.

Alongside the kick-off, the University of Malta played a central role in a technical workshop held in parallel. Prof. Gauci chaired the session on fixed-platform operations, guiding discussions on deployment practices, maintenance planning, instrumentation requirements, and data-handling standards, with the aim of establishing shared operational approaches across the consortium.

The meeting marked an important starting point for MedJICARP, enabling partners to confirm responsibilities and lay the groundwork for stronger monitoring capacity and climate preparedness across the Mediterranean.